I’m trying to find the words to describe how much I enjoy this image by Bill Coyle. The foggy, quiet backdrop of the Basque country with grazing sheep is very different than the energetic chaos of the Folklife Festival on the National Mall. The moment of the girl eating her ice cream while the boy waits impatiently provides a hint of what is behind the artificial severity of the printed picture.

We’re big fans of the beautiful birds (and beautiful photos) at @AvianRecon. Inspired by the World Cup, they’re having an #InstaBirdBracket right now. Go follow along and vote for your favorite owl or raptor. (Psst: It’s this one.)

It’s that time of year again when we give thanks for intriguing photography-related links on Wednesday instead of Friday. It’s also nearly the time of year to get excited about the next annual Exposed DC Contest! Join us on Wednesday December 3 for our contest launch happy hour at Bluejacket. Also don’t forget to stop by the extended run of our Instant DC Fall Review at Bloombars through December 14. Meanwhile, we hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

This Sunday from 2-4 p.m., join us at the opening reception for the extended run of our InstantDC Fall Review show! The new venue for these beautiful photographs is BloomBars in Columbia Heights. Keep your eyes peeled for exciting news in the coming days about a new series of Exposed-sponsored photography classes with Knowledge Commons DC! While you’re salivating, here are this week’s links: